Cotton cleaner attachment for cotton gins



A ril 14, 1953 J. R. MORROW COTTON CLEANER ATTACHMENT FOR COTTON ems Filed July 18. 1949 INVENTOR James R. Marrou/ m W ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 14, 1953 COTTON CLEANER ATTACHMENT FOR COTTON GINS James R. Morrow, Meadow, Tex.

Application July 18, 1949, Serial No. 105,382

Claims.

The present inventicn relates to cotton gins and more particularly to an attachment therefor adapted to remove dust and foreign matter from the cotton fiber.

An object of the invention is to provide the ordinary ginning apparatus with a plurality of suction tubes placed in the vicinity of the gin saws, one end of each of the tubes being placed between adjacent saws and the other end thereof being secured to a main suction tube having a suction fan connected thereto.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a particular type of suction tube to be placed between the gin saws, this tube having a wide mouth so as to cover a considerable area for gathering in the foreign matter present in the cotton fiber.

A further object of this invention is to so locate the mouths of the tubes in relation to the gin saws and gin ribs as to pick up the foreign matter at that point.

A still further object of the invention is to furnish an improvement for cotton gins which is universal in its application to gins of different types and which will improve the quality of the free lint going into the lint flue.

Still other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a cotton ginning assembly showing the suction tubes in position; and

Figure 2 is a view taken on line 2-;2 of Fig. 1.

Since the days of the early cotton gins the means of separating the cottcn fiber or lint from the seed has been basically the same. As shown in Fig. 1 the cotton as picked is placed in the space it? from which it falls to an elongated rotor H. The action of the rotor is to throw the cotton against a plurality of gin saws l2, each of said saws having arcuate teeth with undercut throats, which teeth hook into the fiber and carry it upwardly through huller ribs l3. These ribs are placed between the gin saws and are of sufficient size to allow the fiber and seed to be pulled therebetween thus removing the hull. After passing through the huller ribs the fiber and seed are discharged by the saws into the roll box generally designated as M. the saws causes the fiber and seed to rotate in the roll box and in so doing gradually pulls fibers from the seed through gin ribs [5. These latter ribs are so spaced apart from each other that the seeds cannot pass through the openings between these ribs. However, the openings between these latter ribs are sufficient in size to allow the fibers to be pulled therethrough. The rotative speed of the saws is approximately four times the rotative speed of the cotton in the roll box. This The rotation of 2 pulling action is a very thorough combing process. After the lint or fiber is pulled through the gin ribs the fibers are subjected to an air blast from nozzle I6 which discharges into the throat I! of the lint flue 18. The throat I! is generally known as the short flue. As will be seen, the

draft set up by the discharge of the nozzle into.

the short fiue draws the cotton fibers from teeth of the rotating gin saws into the short flue and thence on into the lint flue [8. From this point on the cotton is separated from the air by means of a condenser and is then delivered to the baling press.

As previously stated the above procedure for ginning cotton has been generally conventional for many years. There are, however, a number of undesirable features in the conventional type of gin. I have discovered that when cotton fiber is pulled from the seed there is a great amount of foreign matter which is loosened. It will be seen therefore that at the point where the fiber is pulled through the gin ribs a multitude of small particles of dirt and the like is discharged into the air. The rotation of the gin saws and the discharge of the air blast nozzle it sets up a draft tending to cause the dust to be thrown towards the short fiue ll. Therefore, although at the time the fibers of cotton are pulled from the seed they are completely clean, the induced draft of the gin saws and air blast nozzle causes the small particles of dirt and the like to again be mixed with the clean fibers in the lint flue I8. It is readily apparent that this mixing of dust and clean fibers of cotton is highly undesirable.

In the past several methods have been utilized in attempting to keep the cotton fibers in a clean condition but none have gone to the root of the problem. I propose to place a plurality of rectangular suction tubes l9 between the gin saws and so position the mouth 2| of each of the tubes to pick up all the dirt and dust particles and deliver them to a central air duct 29. A suction fan 24 is disposed at one end of the duct to draw the particles from the duct and discharge them outside the sin. The design of mouth 2! of each suction tube I 9 is very important. From Fig. 1 it will be noticed that one end of the mouth lies closely adja;ent the gin rib l5 and a short distance below the periphery of gin saws [2. The other end of the mouth lies closely adjacent the periphery of the gin saws, the latter end being slightly above a line drawn from the point the fibers are pulled through the gin ribs and the mouth of nozzle 16. The sides of the mouth intermediate the ends are arcuate in design in or der to provide a pocket 22 between the mouth and the periphery of the gin saws. From Fig. 2 it will be noted that the width of the mouth of suction tubes I9 is very nearly the same width as the distance between adjacent saws. The tubes taper downwardly and inwardly immediately below the mouth and are of this lesser width down to their entrance into the central air duct 20. Thus it will be apparent that mouth 2| will pick up all particles of dirt and dust which are liberated when the fibers are pulled from the seed. The air blast nozzle will no longer affect the particles since the latter mentioned other 'end of the mouth is so located as to prevent the particles from getting within distance of the induced draft. Since the mouths of the tubes are very nearly the same width as the distance between saws no foreign matter is allowed to pass the mouths. Also since the width of the tubes tapers dot/n wardly and inwardly and is thereby less where the tubes emerg from between the gin saws it will be seen that they in no way affect the action "of the saw teeth. 7 I r The end result of a device as I provide is to 'sushy'a 'very clean 'fiber to the lint hue and into the baling press. Such fiber is of a much higher gra e than that with which the foreign matter is mixed.

The suction or vacuum at the mouth of the tubes is designed to amount to approximately two ounces per square inch below atmospheric pressure. The air pressure at the air blast nozzle is usually from eight to thirteen ounces per square inch gage in order to successfully remove the fibers from the teeth of "gin saws 12. Therefore, it will be Seen that thetwo ounce suction at the mouth of tube [9 is insufficient to remove any lint 'or fiber from the saws. Yet it is of a sufficient amount to pull all the dust out of the air. Also, the suction tubes will remove lo'ose dust particles from the fiber as it passes near mouth 2|.

From the foregoing details it will be understood that I have provided an efiicient attachthem to be combined with the conventional type of ginning apparatus to secure a high quality of 2 clean "cotton fibers. Very little space is necessaiy for the installation of a device of this type and the expense involved for such installation will soon pay for itself out of the increased quality of cotton.

While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that variation in details of form may be made without departure from the invention as defined in the 'appendedclaim's.

1 claim: v

1. In a cotton gin having a plurality of gin saws mounted on a common shaft, a gin rib extending between -each pair of said saws on one side of the shaft and emerging from the saws adjacent the peripheral top portion thereof, a dust removing attachment comprising a plurality of ducts, said ducts being positioned between adjacent saWs, one end of each of said ducts forming an elongated open mouth portion positioned immediately below the upper periphery of the gin saws, the other end being connected to a common air conduit,one end of each mouth portion being positioned adjacent the point where a gin rib emerges from the periphery of thesaws, the other, end of each mouth portion being spaced from said point and being positioned adjacent the periphery of said saws, and means for applying a suction to said air conduit.

2. In a cotton gin having a plurality of gin saws mounted on a common shaft, a gin rib extending between "each pair of said saws on one side of the shaft and emerging from the saws adjacent the peripheral top portion thereof, a

dust removing attachment comprising a plurality of ducts, said ducts being positioned between adjacent saws, each ofsaid ducts being rectangular in a cross section, tapering upwardly and outwardly terminating in "a rectangular rnouth portion, each mouth portion being positioned immediately below the point of emergence of a rib from the periphery of said saws the width of each duct at said mouth portion being slightly less than the distance between adjacent saws, each "or said ducts being connected to a central air conduit and means for applying a suction to said air conduit.

3. In a cotton gin having a plurality of gin saws mounted on a coinmon shaft, a gin rib extending between each pair "of said saws "on one side "of the shaft and emerging from the cave adjacent the peripheral top portion thereof, a

suction duct extending between each pair of said saws *cm the other Side of the Shaft, one end 01 each duct terminating in a mouth portion, one end or which lies adjacent a gin rib below the peri ery of the gin saws, the other end lying adjacent the periphery of the gin saws s a-sec from the point of emergence of the gin rib, the sides connecting said mouth ends being dipped in an arcuate manner and means applying a "suction force to the ether end of each duct.

4. In a cotton gin having a plurality 'of 'g-in saws mounted on a common shaft, a gin rib extending between each pair of said saws on one side of the shaft and emerging from the saws adjacent the peripheral 'top portion thereof, a suction duct extending between each pa rof said saws on the other side of the shaft, one end of each duct terminating in a rectangular mouth portion, one end of which lies closely adjacent a gin rib immediately below the periphery of the gin saws, the other end of which lies closelyadja cent the periphei y'of the gin saws spaced from the said point of emergence of the gin rib, the sides of the mouth intermediate the ends being slightly spaced from their adjacent gin saws, and means applying a suction force to the "other end of each duct.

5. In a cotton gin having a plurality of gin saws mounted on a common shaft, "a gin rib extending between each pair of said saws on one side or the shaftand emerging from the saws adjacent the peripheral top portion thereof, a suction 'duct extending between "each pair of said saws "on the other side of the shaft, one end of each duct terminating in a rectangular mouth portion, one "end of which lies closely adjacent a gin rib immediately below the periphery of the gin saws, the other end of which lies closelyadja cent the periphery of the gin saws spaced from the said point of emergence of the gin rib, the sides of the mouth intermediate the ends being slightly spaced from their adjacent gin saws, the "other end of each ductbeing "connected to a central air conduit spaced below the gin saws, and means for applying a suction to said conduit.

JAMES R. MORROW;

References Cited in the file of this patent 'U'Ni'ihf) sures Part:r'I'I-e 

